No Longer Burdened
by unlikelyRLshipper
Summary: D/L. An AU take on the end of 9.08 Late Admissions, so spoilers ahead for that episode. "As she wrestled her phone back into her pocket after turning it off, she opened her bedroom door and passed through. It was only once she had closed the door that she realized that there was something about her room that had changed since she'd last been in it..."


**Hi again everybody! *waves* It's been a while since I've posted anything here, and I do apologize for that. For whatever reason, I had a really hard time writing this story and it would only come out in fits and starts, so I'm more than a little unsure about the final product but I wanted to get it out there anyways.**

**OK, so the set-up: this is an AU ending to 9.08 Late Admissions. It came about because I started to wonder whether the lack of Danny towards the end of the episode might mean he was going to pop up in Montana to support Lindsay. I'll admit that I was **_**slightly**_** disappointed when the story shifted back to NY with Danny meeting Lindsay's cab at the door, but I quickly got over it when Lindsay hooked her fingers into Danny's back pocket – c'mon, how freaking adorable was that?! Anyways, this was my way of playing through what I thought might have happened. It picks up after Lindsay leaves the execution.**

**Thank you to all those who read my last fic, and a special shout-out to my reviewers – Craftygirl11, Rebandmel, Alex Joleta, rosie0810, aguscha333, LoveShipper, csimesser1, wolflover24, and laurzz – I'm so glad that you all seemed to enjoy how I envisioned Lindsay getting her revenge on Danny, and I thank you for taking the time to send me your thoughts. Y'all are awesome!**

**OK, let's get on with the show, shall we? Enjoy?**

* * *

**No Longer Burdened**

Driving back from Daniel Katums's execution to her father's home, Lindsay was in a state of numbness. She'd been hoping that the death of the man who'd killed her three best friends would somehow bring her the closure she'd been seeking for two decades now, but it didn't. She just felt empty. At this point, she mused rather darkly, she'd even take some element of pleasure or satisfaction in his death, but there was nothing. Pulling up in the driveway and hopping down from her father's truck, she mindlessly made her way into the house, not too surprised to find her dad waiting up for her.

"Lindsay, you OK honey?" Robert Monroe asked, clearly concerned for his daughter's well-being. He still couldn't for the life of him understand why it was so important for Lindsay to be present at the execution, or even why she chose a profession that exposed her to so many gruesome images, particularly after the horrible ones she'd witnessed as a teenager, but she was stubborn and determined just like her mother, and he'd learned a long time ago that there was no changing the mind of a Monroe woman.

"I'm fine Dad, but I'm really tired. I'm gonna turn in for the night, I want to spend the morning with you before my flight back to New York and I'd rather not be yawning the whole time." Plastering a smile on her face, she made her way over to the couch and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Goodnight Dad, I love you."

"I love you too sweetie. I'll see you in the morning."

Making a quick exit to ensure there would be no further conversation, Lindsay headed up the stairs to her old childhood bedroom. On the way up, she sent Danny a quick text, letting him know that it was over, that she was alright and couldn't wait to see him and Lucy again. In all honesty, she was on the verge of collapse and she was fairly certain that sleep would be preceded by a fair amount of tears, but at least she would be alone for that. Her dad was being really sweet about her being here, even if he didn't agree with her decision to be here in the first place, but she didn't want to burden him anymore. This case was no easier on him than it was for her, but he no longer had her mother to back him up. She would be gone in less than 24 hours, back to her family and her life in New York, and she wanted to leave him with more pleasant memories of her brief visit. As she wrestled her phone back into her pocket after turning it off, she opened her bedroom door and passed through. It was only once she had closed the door that she realized that there was something about her room that had changed since she'd last been in it.

"Hi babe."

Even in the low light, Lindsay could make out the form of her husband, sitting on the end of the bed.

"What are you doing here Danny?" She didn't bother to mask her surprise as she went to flip on the light on her dresser.

Now able to see his wife properly, Danny gave her a small smile. "I'm here for you, Linds. You're putting up a strong front, but I know you're barely holding it together. You don't gotta hide it from me, I want to help you."

A part of her wanted to let go right then, but there was still something holding her back. As she tried to sort herself out, she steered the conversation back to other topics. "Where's Lucy?"

"She's at home in New York. My mom couldn't take her tonight so Mac and Christine are spending the night at our place. They'll make sure she gets to school and my mom is gonna pick her up after school and keep her until we get back."

"How did this all happen?"

"It was your dad. When you wouldn't call me, I talked to him and he told me that you weren't doing so good. He asked if I could somehow come to Montana and get you to talk to me because he couldn't get through to you and he couldn't watch you go through the motions anymore. He even offered to pay for my ticket out here, which I respectfully declined. I talked to Mac, worked it all out with everyone and two hours later I was on a plane to Bozeman. Your dad had a friend of his pick me up at the airport and drop me off here, and that was about an hour and a half ago."

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say.

"Do you feel like you have closure now?" he asked tentatively, unsure of where her head was at right now.

His question ripped open the tenuous hold she had on her emotions and she just managed to squeak out "Nope – feel nothing" before the wave overpowered her. She lunged for Danny but didn't have to go far because he'd already closed the gap between them. He pulled her into his arms and held on tight, guiding them back to the bed as Lindsay fell apart. Clearly she hadn't been feeling nothing, but Danny knew her well enough to realize that she was so used to shoving her feelings about this case down that she'd gotten to a place of convincing herself she was OK when she really wasn't.

Even after everything they'd faced together since becoming a couple, this case was still a largely taboo topic for her: she'd only brought it up once, after she'd come back from Montana now eight months pregnant and he was on suspension. She talked about her friends – Kelly, Caroline and her best friend Lucy – and the plans they had for the future, going off to college together, being in each other's weddings, living in the same area of town so their kids could be friends as well. They all knew it would probably never happen, but at the very least they were destined to remain friends for the rest of their lives. She told him a little bit about each of the girls before it became too much for her and she had to stop. Thankful that she'd shared even a small piece of her friends with him, he felt no need to push her for anything further. It was because of that very conversation that he came up with the idea of naming their daughter Lucy and though she'd fought him on it for a time, once they got home from the hospital she agreed to it.

He heard Lindsay try to say something, struggling with the words and when he tried to quiet her, she shook her head and tried again. "I thought…being there…would help."

He felt his heart break for her. "I know babe, I know you did, I get it."

The next thing out of her mouth surprised him: "Sorry."

He tightened his arms around her and shook his head, knowing she could feel it. "You have nothing to apologize for, I know this has been hard for you, bringing everything back to the surface. It's OK to cry Linds, to mourn your friends."

Once more, she shook her head against him. "Alone – bad idea. Need you." When she finished speaking, Lindsay pulled back so she could look him in the eye, contrition pouring out of her shiny eyes.

"I'm here Linds, I'm here now. That's all that matters," he said as he pulled her back into his chest and felt a new wave of tears fall against his shirt.

Ever since she'd gotten the news of Katums's impending execution and decided that she'd go back to Montana on her own to witness it, he'd been more than a little annoyed with her. She was shutting him out and he thought that they'd gotten past doing that to each other, but apparently not. His annoyance had only grown when he couldn't get her to call him back, forcing him to call his father-in-law for information. Ever since that phone call, though, with her dad all but pleading with him to come to Montana and help her, the annoyance had started to fade. Any last vestiges of it were gone the minute she walked through the door and found him, giving Danny the chance to see just how broken she was.

He let her continue to cry, knowing that no words he could say now would be better than him pressing her into his body and keeping his arms tight around her back. Eventually, her tears stopped and it felt like she was starting to fall asleep. Before she could actually fall asleep, he pushed her away from him a bit to get her attention.

"You need to change babe, you're gonna be uncomfortable in those clothes if you sleep in them."

Simply nodding her head, Lindsay wiggled out of Danny's embrace and stood up, quickly discarding her clothes in favour of a t-shirt and plaid pajama pants. Since he'd come with nothing more than the clothes on his back, Danny shed his jeans and threw them over the back of the chair that already held his jacket. Now down to his boxers and a t-shirt, he pulled back the covers on her bed and climbed in, Lindsay following his lead and climbing in beside him. She moved herself until she was in the middle of the bed and then draped herself over Danny, looking for as much contact between them as she could get. Working with her, he twine their limbs together so they would stay anchored to each other and he then leaned down to capture her lips.

"Thank you Danny," she whispered to him after the kiss ended.

"You're welcome Linds."

Sharing one last kiss, she settled her head into the crook of his neck and let sleep take over. Once he was certain she was asleep, he allowed himself to follow her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

The next morning, Lindsay woke up in an empty bed. Reaching out to the space beside her and finding it empty and cold, she realized that her tired and frazzled mind must have been playing tricks on her last night. She couldn't say she was completely surprised because she'd been rattled since she'd received notice of Katums's impending execution, but she couldn't help but be disappointed. Despite keeping Danny at arm's length, a part of her wanted nothing more than for him to show up against her wishes and save her from herself, just like he had during the trial. He'd seemed to know back then that that was exactly what she needed in the moment, even if she didn't know it at the time. Now, she knew exactly what she needed, but she couldn't ask for it.

Cursing her stubbornness as she felt tears start to prick up in her eyes, she flipped over in frustration and resolved to spend the next ten minutes collecting herself before going to spend the morning with her dad. Before closing her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the chair that had been in the corner of her room since she could remember and that was when she noticed the familiar leather jacket draped across the back. Suddenly, Lindsay didn't need those ten minutes anymore.

Rolling out of bed, she quickly but quietly made her way downstairs, just able to make out the hushed voices of her father and her husband talking about Lucy. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and listened for a few moments, smiling to herself as she heard them laugh about one of Lucy's most recent exploits. Warmed by hearing the easy conversation between the two most important men in her life, she finally made her way into the kitchen.

"Hey Linds," Danny said before she could even open her mouth, a knowing look in his eyes. She realized that he somehow knew that she'd been listening in for the past couple of minutes. "Did you sleep OK?"

"Yeah I did, thanks to you." She smiled at him sweetly, causing Danny to blush. She stepped over to him and leaned in to kiss him, but only felt the quickest brush of their lips before he retreated and went back to eating. She looked at him in surprise and was about to ask what that was all about when his eyes unconsciously flicked up to the other end of the table where her father was sat and eating his own breakfast. She had to admit that it was a bit sweet that Danny was still shy about showing her affection in front of her dad but right now she didn't care if she was making anyone else uncomfortable.

Giving Danny a chance to finish his current mouthful of food, she moved the plate away from him before he could take another bite and invaded his space, using her current height advantage to control this kiss. When he tried to pull away once again, she wound one hand behind his neck and used the other to grab a fistful of his shirt front to keep him in place. He continued to resist for a few more moments, but with her unrelenting assault on his mouth, there was little else he could do but give in. Once he finally did, she grinned against his mouth and continued the kiss, but when even she realized that this was way too much PDA in front of her dad, she pulled back and smiled innocently at him.

"Very funny Montana." He was trying to act mad, but the huge grin on his face wasn't selling it to her.

"That's right babe, we're in Montana, home of the wheatfields. I'm glad to hear that despite your whirlwind trip here, you still know where you are in the country."

"Wiseass. You'll pay for that."

"Do your worst, Mr. Messer." Giving him a saucy look, she pushed his plate back in front of him and turned towards her father, who was watching the couple with a mixture of amusement and awkwardness.

"I think I'll leave you to it for a few moments while I go fix you a plate, Lindsay," Robert commented as he rose from his seat and headed back to the stove.

Having dealt with her husband, Lindsay left Danny to finish his breakfast and followed her father, needing to set a few things straight with him too.

When she came to his side, Robert quickly tried to shoo her away. "Go sit, I got – OWW! What the heck, Lindsay?!" Quickly putting the plate down, he reached over to soothe his arm where Lindsay had just punched him.

"That's for going behind my back," she told him plainly, irritation filling her eyes.

He might be the parent and she might be the child, but Robert Monroe had learned early on that Lindsay was not someone to be crossed…unless you were willing to take the consequences. "Look Lindsay, I…"

Once again, his words were cut short but this time it was because Lindsay had launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly and squeezing. Pulling his upper body down until her face was level with his, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before shifting her mouth to his ear.

"Thank you Daddy, he was exactly what I needed."

When she was finished, she let him go and watched as he pulled back, a smile on his face. Leaning down to kiss her forehead as he'd done ever since she was a baby, he simply replied "You're welcome sweetie." He went back to fixing a plate for her, handing it to her when he was finished and pushing her back towards the table to go eat with her husband.

As Lindsay was sitting down, Danny was just finishing up his plate so he contented himself with sitting there and watching her. She looked so much better that she had when she'd walked into her bedroom; in fact, she seemed more like her normal self, the Lindsay he hadn't seen since she'd learned of the impending execution. Danny wasn't under any sort of pretense that Lindsay was completely fine, but he was certain that she was going to be OK in time that that was more than enough for him.

When she was nearly finished her breakfast, he finally broke the silence between them. "I've managed to get a ticket on the same flight to New York as you, so what time do we need to be at the airport by?"

Her slight surprise quickly gave way to a broad smile. "Oh, I didn't even think about that. At least we can go back together. Umm, I was thinking sometime between 2 and 2:30 this afternoon, which should give us plenty of time."

"Alright, sounds good to me. You need to pack or something?"

"Nope, I've been living out of my suitcases, never bothered to unpack in the first place. And I know you didn't bring anything with you," she smiled at him knowingly.

"Nope, just brought what was necessary," he replied as he smirked back at her. "So any plans for your last day here?"

Danny's question renewed within Lindsay a debate she'd been having since landing in Montana. Leaving the prison last night, she thought she'd finally made up her mind, but now, looking over at the wonderful man she was lucky enough to call her husband, she knew what she needed to do.

"I want to show you something Danny."

"OK. You mind if I grab a quick shower first?"

"No, go ahead. We have to drive there, but it's not too far from here. There are fresh towels in my bathroom, so you're all set to go."

"Alright. Be back soon," Danny said as he got up and went to take his plate to the sink.

"Leave it Dan, I got it."

"Thanks babe." He did as he was told and as he passed by her he sweetly kissed the top of her head.

She turned and watched him leave, only getting up once he was out of sight. Taking their plates off the table, she carried them over to the sink, leaving them on the adjacent counter. Her dad had already made a dent in the dishes as she ate, so Lindsay picked up a towel and started drying.

"So, you're gonna go?"

Lindsay was about to ask her dad what he meant, but once he turned to look in her eyes, she knew that he'd known all along about her silent debate. She didn't even bother to ask how he knew – for as long as she could remember, her dad instinctively knew when she was wrestling with her emotions, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. It had just been a long time since he'd done it.

"Yeah, it's time. I'm going to take Danny with me. You don't mind if I borrow the truck for about an hour?"

"No. You take all the time you need, I understand."

"Thank you Daddy," she said as she smiled warmly up at him.

They worked through the rest of the dished in silence before Lindsay kissed him on the cheek once more and then made her way back upstairs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Twenty-five minutes later, Lindsay and Danny were sitting in her dad's pickup truck on their way to their destination. The entire ride, she'd been torturing him with her dad's favourite country station, Danny politely saying nothing but his ever-tightening jaw giving him away all the same. As they pulled into the parking lot, Lindsay flicked the radio off, finding the music out of step with the somber mood of the place.

For his part, Danny was confused. The place Lindsay wanted to show him, apparently, was a cemetery. Searching his mind, he remembered that this wasn't the place where Lindsay's mother was buried a few years ago. Suddenly, and with all the weight of a freight train plowing into him, he understood why they were here. As he turned to face Lindsay, he saw her steel herself for what she was about to do and reach for the door handle.

"Linds, wait," he called out as he grabbed her free hand in his own. He waited until she looked up at him before continuing. "You don't need to do this, babe. If you're not ready, it's OK. You don't have to push yourself. We can just go back to your dad's and spend more time with him."

"No Danny, I want to do this." Giving his hand a firm squeeze, she added, "C'mon, it's time for you to meet my friends."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Lindsay quietly navigated them through the headstones to where her three best friends were resting side by side by side, a choice the girls had made in life and one that their parents had decided to honour in their deaths. Though it was only the third time Lindsay had visited since the day her friends were buried here – the first just before she moved to New York and the second at the conclusion of Daniel Katums's trial – she still knew the way with perfect recall.

As she approached the three headstones, she noticed the fresh flowers laid before each, no doubt by their parents within the past couple of days to mark the end of a twenty-plus year ordeal. She noticed that Danny was no longer at her side, instead standing a few steps behind her. Taking it as his way to give her some privacy as she paid her respects, she gave him a slight nod and turned back to the stones before her. Giving herself a few moments to collect her thoughts, she finally began to speak.

"Hi guys, it's been a long time since I've been here and I'm sorry for that, but it's so hard for me to stand here by myself and remember that you're not here anymore. I wake up every day remembering the fact that my three best friends were ripped from this world so needlessly, but the physical reminder that you're no longer here is almost too much to bear. But, today I needed to be here.

"I'm sure that you guys have been watching what's been going on the past few days and you've probably had your families out here to visit and tell you the news, but it warrants repeating: the man who took your lives, Daniel Katums, he was executed last night. I was there, I witnessed it. It was only with his dying words that he admitted his guilt and asked for forgiveness – just an hour earlier when I spoke to him he claimed he was innocent and swore that I had ID'd the wrong man, just as he had been claiming since he was convicted. In the end, though, the truth came out and he was made to pay for his sins.

"I hope this finally gives you the last shred of peace you've been missing all these years. I truly believe that justice will always prevail in the end, but I'm sorry that it took so long for your justice to come through. I did everything that I could, but a lot of the time it was just never enough. I only hope that you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me for letting you down for so long. Not a day goes by that I don't miss all of you, but I also know that a part of each of you is still with me wherever I go, in my heart. I love you guys."

With nothing left to say, Lindsay's emotions got the better of her and she started to cry. It took only a few seconds for her to feel Danny at her back, putting his hands on her shaking shoulders to turn her and then cradle her against his body. As she let herself go in the safety of his arms, she felt a steady stream of tears hit against the top of her head and she realized that he was crying too. When her tears finally subsided, she pulled back and saw that his cheeks were just as wet as hers were. They took a few moments to collect themselves and when Lindsay felt strong enough to address her friends again, she broke out of his hold and instead took one of his hands and threaded their fingers together. Giving them a squeeze, she moved to stand at her husband's side facing the headstones.

"The other reason why I came here today was so I could finally introduce you to my husband. I talked about him a bit the last time I was here – the guy who flew all the way across the country on a whim and almost no sleep to support me when he heard I was struggling during the trial. So much has changed since then and it's about time you all met. Guys, this is Danny. Danny, there are my friends: Kelly, Caroline, and Lucy."

"Hi," Danny said simply, making sure to look at each stone just as he would if there were people in front of him. He wasn't quite sure what he should do here so he just let Lindsay take the lead.

"I know what you're all thinking: I always swore I'd never be with a city boy – way too high maintenance for this country girl – but I guess I was being too hasty. He's a New Yorker, born and bred, and after living there for close to a decade, I can assure you that those city boys are nothing like the jerks we knew when we were kids. That being said, though, this guy here was a pain in my ass from the day we met."

"Babe!" Danny exclaimed.

"Really Danny, you want to deny it?"

"Uh, no…" he admitted somewhat reluctantly.

"Then hush and let me talk." Danny gave her a sideways glance, but did as he was told. "So, like I was saying, I had just got off the plane from Montana, ready to start my new life and job in New York City when I got a call to go straight to a crime scene at a zoo. So I get there and my new boss introduces me to this cocky guy in glasses. After telling me his name, he gives me a tip to call the boss 'Sir.' I thought he was on the up and up, so I listened to him. Turns out, he was just messing with me, which I guess I should have expected from someone whose last name is 'Messer."

"It's not just my name anymore, is it?" he asked her defiantly.

"Would you stop interrupting me? It's my story to tell to my friends." Her tone gave off annoyance but he couldn't miss the lightness in her eyes at the same time.

"I just want to make sure you tell it right and don't make me out to be the bad guy. You're not so innocent yourself, babe."

"I know. These guys would tell you the same thing: I looked all sweet and innocent, but I was probably the wildest of the bunch."

"Sounds about right," Danny muttered under his breath. Lindsay blushed, but said nothing to him in response.

"Anyways, at first we started out as enemies: I was determined not to like him but as we worked together more and more and got to know each other, and after I learned that I was hired to replace a really good friend of his, I started to change my mind about him. Soon enough, he became my best friend and not long after that I found myself wanting more than just his friendship. Teasing each other turned into shameless flirting and it was all progressing into something more until the trial came up and I thought the only way I could get through it was on my own. I was wrong – so very wrong – but thankfully he's as stubborn as I am and he didn't give up so easily on me.

"When we got back to New York, it was only a matter of time – or more accurately booze, a game of pool and a bet – until we finally crossed the line and got together. It hasn't always been easy between us and life had thrown a lot of challenges at us over the years, but it's only made us stronger as a couple. He's just like the dream husbands we always talked about having as kids: smart, funny, kind, loving, supportive, protective, and smokin' hot."

The two shared a chuckle before Lindsay continued.

"And we have a daughter – she'd five now and her name is Lucy. And Kelly, before you and Caroline get all upset, it was Danny's idea to name her that. I wanted Lydia, but once we brought her home and I held her in my arms that first night, I just knew that she was my little Lucy. She was a surprise to both of us, but it was because of her that we finally got our act together and committed to each other, and I love her all the more for that. She looks more like Danny, but her personality is more like mine, which means that we're screwed when she becomes a teenager.

"After what happened to you guys, I didn't think I wanted kids anymore because I saw first-hand what losing each of you did to your parents. I never wanted to put myself in a situation where that could be me, having to bury my child, and sometimes I'm still scared about it, but I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. Lucy and Danny are the most important things in my life, and I cherish them each and every day. I wish I could share them with you and that I had the chance to see where your lives would've taken you.

"I still don't know why I survived when you didn't, but I've finally learned to stop questioning and just live my life, to not take things for granted and to try and pay my blessings forward by helping to give peace and justice to other victims. It's still hard for me to talk about you guys, but one day – maybe soon – I hope I can share you lives with my family and teach my daughter how to be as good a friend as you all were to me. Rest in peace, my dear, dear friends."

Releasing Danny's hand, Lindsay stepped forward and brought her hand to her mouth, kissing her fingers before touching them to the top of each headstone. When she was finished, she looked at the three stones one last time with a watery smile before turning and leaving.

Danny remained where he was for several more minutes, wanting to say something but unsure of what. Eventually, he just opened his mouth and started talking.

"I hope you girls are at peace now that justice has been served. I don't want you to worry about Lindsay: I've got her, even when she thinks she doesn't need me, but I wouldn't mind if you watched over her and Lucy too from time to time. I do my best, but a little help never hurts, right?"

As Danny paused to think of something else to say, Lindsay called out to him. "You coming, Danny?"

Turning to nod his head at her, he faced the stones once more. "Oh, and I promise if we have more kids, I'm pushing for Caroline and Kelly as names. It was an honour to meet you Lucy, Kelly, and Caroline, and thank you for Lindsay. Until we meet again, ladies."

With one last smile, he turned and made his way to his wife's side, pulling her into a hug. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Thank you for coming with me. I'm glad that I came here, it was good."

He leaned down to kiss her temple. "So, back to your dad's to spend the rest of the morning with him?"

"Yeah."

Taking her hand in his once more, he smiled down at her. "Lead the way then."

* * *

**So I hope you all made it to the end and that at the very least you didn't hate it. I feel like the ending is a little abrupt, but I couldn't make it work any other way.**

**Now, for some better news than my constant self-criticism: I'm working on another post-ep for Late Admissions, one that this time follows the canon. I've got the majority of the story worked out, but there are some details that I have to finesse in it, so hopefully I can get it posted within the next week. I hope you'll come back and check that one out too.**

**Until we meet again,**

**unlikelyRLshipper :)**


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